The Executive Director of Conscience for Human Rights and Conflict Resolution (CHRCR), Idris Miliki, has called for the review of sanitation policy in Kogi State.
In a statement issued on Thursday, Comrade Miliki said that as the new government in Kogi State, under the leadership of Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, settles down, there is a need to review the sanitation policy in the state to reflect the current challenges.
According to him, Kogi State witnesses not less than ten thousand vehicles crossing the state on a daily basis, posing environmental challenges because of human attitudes due to negligence of basic hygiene.
“Lokoja, the state headquarters, hosts various markets and motor parks, but the environmental situation in those places is worrisome, as they are unkempt.
“We are also worried; it seems there is no demarcation between the Sanitation Board and the company expected to clean Lokoja Town.
“On many occasions, government vehicles have been used by private companies engaged to clean the city.
The worst of it all is the unavailability of potable water in Kogi State, particularly in Lokoja, which hosts both the Nija and Benue rivers. It is condemnable that a state capital like Lokoja will stay without water.
“Open defecation has become an alarming rate in Lokoja town and across the state.
He noted that refuse is scattered across the town without evacuation, and the worst of all is that the refuse dump sites have remained unkept without proper management.
He therefore called for a state of emergency on water and sanitation in Kogi State without further delay.
“We recommend a specific date for cleaning specific markets and all markets, which can not be done on the same day across the board.
“This will not cost the government beyond supervision, as all markets and motor parks should have specific days and times for cleaning that will improve sanitation in those places.
“We call for a stakeholders conference on environmental sanitation in Kogi State that will generate ideas on how to move this all-important sector forward and that will include genuine professionals and relevant stakeholders.